Trauma Essentials: The Go-To Guide (Go-To Guides for Mental Health)
Babette Rothschild
Language: English
Pages: 160
ISBN: 0393706206
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
Basic information about one of the most common problems in therapy, from a best-selling mental health writer.
Since 1980, when PTSD first appeared as a diagnostic category, the number of people seeking trauma therapy has grown exponentially. Victims of traumatic events seek treatment for their often debilitating symptoms. Here, a leading trauma specialist and best-selling psychotherapy author presents for consumers the wide range of trauma treatments available and gives readers tools to choose a treatment plan or assess whether their treatment plan is working. Medications and associated conditions such as anxiety and panic disorders are also discussed. This book presents the most necessary and relevant information in a compact and accessible format, serving both as a review for therapists and a straightforward, easy-to-use guide for patients. Topics covered include definitions and symptoms, accepted treatments, physiological explanations, and treatment evaluation strategies, all written in Babette Rothschild's characteristically accessible style.
shutting down the hippocampus is actually part of the survival response. When one’s life is in danger, it may be critical to be able to react without thinking. That’s the amygdala’s job. If the hippocampus remains active at such a threatening time, it could hamper the autopilot and speed necessary for survival. So the amygdala raises the level of stress hormones and the hippocampus goes off-line, so to speak. Still, the shutdown is supposed to be temporary and problems arise when it persists. The
usually see the physical symptoms that have been caused by the amygdala’s constant alarm (e.g., palpitations, concentration difficulties, nervousness) subside. Central Nervous System The central nervous system is the control center for all body and mind systems. The term is used interchangeably to refer to both the body’s entire nervous system and also to the central part of the nervous system, the brain and spinal cord. The nerves that emanate from the spinal cord are divided into two major
this, but making peace with feeling fear can be one of the best protections an individual can have against trauma and PTSD. In general, all of our emotions are there for a reason. As uncomfortable as it is to feel, fear, in particular, plays a major role in survival. It is fear that will alert you to the possibility of danger. When your heart begins to race and your palms break out in a cold sweat, your body is telling you that this is a good time to look around where you are and pay attention to
for and care about. What made me so vulnerable? There could be many factors, but two stand out. The first is that this was someone I related to on several levels. Though we do not have a lot of contact, she is in my sphere and I am fond of her. The second is that as I heard the news I immediately—and seemingly involuntarily—had a sharp visual image of her in that situation. Unwittingly, I was strongly reminded that imagery is a very powerful mechanism for taking another’s trauma into one’s own
was perpetrated by a primary caregiver, attachment disorder is a likely consequence concurrent with PTSD. Substance Abuse Dual diagnosis is the common term applied to substance abusers (drug addicts and others) who have additional psychological problems, often PTSD. It can be a vicious circle for these individuals: the fright, horror, and shame associated with trauma drive them to substance abuse. In turn, addiction makes healing from trauma much, much more difficult. Traumatic Brain Injury